


A Fisherman's Tale

by down_into_underland



Series: ShiroMatt Week 2016 [4]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, day 4: bad weather, fisherman and merman au, shiromattweek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-29
Updated: 2016-09-29
Packaged: 2018-08-18 08:58:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8156476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/down_into_underland/pseuds/down_into_underland
Summary: Shiro is a fisherman inspired by the dreams of other worlds, and after one nasty storm, he finds sometimes things aren’t just dreams.





	

**Author's Note:**

> So this is an au based on this shitty book I have to read for a seminar course but it’s like actually good and not boring af I promise!

Shiro was never one for superstitions. Even though he grew up in a village where most people would call him stupid for saying that. His village was a tiny town, far out of the reach of the rest of the world. It was right along the shores and the village was based completely on fishing and farming up in the fields on the cliffs high above the main part of town. 

Shiro himself was a fisherman as well. His mother was frail but kind and owned the town inn where Shiro and her also lived. The inn wasn’t the most frequently visited inn, but it got enough business from sailors and fishermen in the need of a break. They’re shared room was on the first floor behind the reception desk. Even though Shiro could have easily worked at the inn with his mother, his father had been a fisherman and he had the greatest fascination with the sea. Even when the sea was what took his father from him. 

When Shiro was only 10 year old, his father’s fishing boat was caught in a nasty storm and the boat was capsized. His father died saving the other, younger members of the crew who he believed had more to live for. Shiro always admired that, and it was what made him want to love the sea as his father did instead of fear it as his mother does. 

Shiro was old enough to be out of school and working full time, so when the rays of sun started to peek through his window, he got quietly out of bed being careful not to wake his mother. He got dressed in his fishing clothes and grabbed the lunch his mom had made for him the night before. He started on his walk down from the inn to the docks where the boat he worked for was tied up. On his daily morning walk, Shiro often found himself dreaming and thinking of worlds beyond the one he knew. Sometimes he just dreamed of travelling to big cities, other times he dreamt of worlds that were completely impossible. Worlds in space, worlds of magic, worlds of wonder. Today’s dream was of the world under the sea Shiro thought he knew so well. But he knew there was more under the waves than just fish, and he wanted to know what was down there. This dream was one he thought about very often on these early mornings. Shiro got to his boat and started lending a hand to getting the boat ready to set sail, and then they were off. 

Shiro’s day was routine, nothing was ever really different. Sometimes the weather got a little weird, sometimes they’d catch more fish than normal, sometimes there’d be a interesting piece of gossip to debate about, but really that was it. Shiro went through his job on autopilot, and today was no different. At least that was what Shiro thought.

The day had started off sunny, but not hot. The perfect day for fishing. Then everything took a quick turn. Black and ominous clouds rolled in so quick, the boats had no time to react. In a panic, every boat began trying to make their way towards shore as the sea started to get rough. The waves grew larger and larger, and Shiro’s boat was having trouble getting back to shore. And in one second, everything for Shiro changed.

A wave larger than their small boat crashed onto the deck and the crew struggled to stay on, but Shiro couldn’t grab a hold of anything and he was washed away. He heard his crewmates and his boss crying out his name as he struggled to stay afloat in the rough waters. His body was frozen to the bones and the last thing he remembers before his head bobbed under the water was only what kind of world he would end up in after he left the world he called home.

* * *

 

Except when Shiro woke up, he wasn’t in a new world like he had imagined. In fact, the first thing his eyes saw just looked like a wet and drippy cave. Shiro started to cough and his lungs burned. He tried to sit up but his bones and muscles ached. He looked around and noticed the small pool of water beside him as well as his clothes hanging to dry on a rock near him. 

That was when Shiro started to panic. His clothes were hanging over to the side, so was he naked? Shiro looked down at himself and noticed he was at least wearing his underwear. He managed to force himself to sit up and take in his surroundings ever more. Not that there was much to take in. It was just a cold, wet, musty cave with a small pool at one end. As Shiro was about to stand to go get his clothes, while also wondering how the hell he got here, he heard a noise bubble up from the pool beside him. He froze and looked towards the pool. Then, a head popped up from the dark water, shocking Shiro so much that he fell backwards. 

There, staring back at Shiro was a mess of wet, light brown hair and brown eyes. The person seemed to be a boy and his skin was pale and slick with salty water. That wasn’t what caught Shiro’s eye though, instead, it was the orange scales that were scattered across the boy’s face almost like freckles. The boy swam to the edge of the pool and began pulling himself up as Shiro scooted back fearfully. The boy’s entire body was covered in orange scales of all different shades and tones. Other than that though, the boy didn’t look that different from a normal boy. He had what looked similar to underwear on but Shiro couldn’t even begin to guess what it was made of. 

Shiro stared at the boy in wonder and awe. He had never in his life dreamed of seeing someone that truly looked like this. So then this couldn’t be a dream right? Or maybe it was? Shiro didn’t think it was a dream though. 

“Are you ok? You had a lot of water inside of you, and I know you land walkers can’t have water inside of you like that, right?” The boy asked holding out Shiro his now dry clothes. Shiro hesitantly took his clothes, admiring the boy’s slightly webbed hands. 

“Uh, yes I’m ok now. Did you save me?” Shiro asked pulling his shirt back on as he finally realized how cold he felt.

“Yes. I did.” The boy answered simply as he watched Shiro very closely. Shiro finished pulling his clothes on and sat in silence for a bit before Shiro spoke up again.

“Why did you save me?” Shiro asked and the boy laughed a little bitterly.

“Because I wanted to. My people are forever told to not go near your kind for they are greedy and don’t like those that are different from themselves. But I have always dreamed of what your world would be like, and want to believe that it isn’t as bad as I’ve been told.” The boy explained looking at Shiro in wonder. Shiro felt his heart warm at the boy’s words, because he felt like he could relate to that same dream. 

“I see, well thank you. I owe you my life.” Shiro said bowing his head. The boy looked at him confused and tilted his head to the side. 

“I don’t want your life, sir. But I would like to know more about your life and your world.” the boy explained and Shiro laughed.

“Very well, then maybe you could tell me about your world as well.” 

“Ok! We can be friends then, yes?”

“Oh, sure. I guess that could work, but um, what’s your name? Do you have names like we do?” Shiro asked. The boy laughed brightly and nodded his head.

“Yes, we have names. My name is Matt, and what’s your name?” 

“My name is Shiro, and it’s a very nice to meet you too.”

And that was the start of a new budding friendship between Shiro and Matt. Shiro learned much more about Matt’s life as a merman and the world under the sea and in return, Shiro shared as much as he could about the world he lived in. Even if he truly didn’t know much about the world outside his tiny village. Of course, as we all know, sometimes friendships can bloom into something much more.

* * *

 

Shiro didn’t often have time to go and meet with Matt when he had to fish during the day. So they planned to meet up whenever the weather was too bad for the boats to go out. If Matt didn’t see boats out by the time the sun was at its highest point, he would go and wait in the cave where him and Shiro first met and Shiro would meet him there. Then they would talk until it was time for Matt to go back home, which would be around the time that Shiro would go home for dinner.

On this particular day, the weather was especially bad. Shiro had gotten soaked when he finally entered their cave. Once settled down in his normal spot, Shiro took his shirt off and set t aside to dry. It was then that Matt showed up and pulled himself up to sit next to Shiro. As Shiro greeted Matt, he took notice of the slight redness growing on Matt’s face. 

“Are you feeling ok, Matt? Your face is red, do you guys get sick?” Shiro asked putting the back of his hand on Matt’s forehead and watching him recoil in shock.

“Um, we don’t usually get sick. It’s very rare, but I think I might be getting sick after all. I’ve been feeling quite odd at times and I don’t understand.” Matt explained playing with the shells on the ground in front of him. Shiro looked at his friend concerned.

“What do you mean you feel odd?” Shiro asked. Matt took a deep breath and continued to fix his eyes down on the ground.

“After these days that we meet, even though they’re so infrequent, I find myself constantly thinking about our time together. It’s as if I’m being possessed and can’t focus or think of anything besides whatever it was that we talked about. And now whenever I do get the chance to come here and talk to you, my skin gets warm and my chest hurts. Do you think I’m going to be ok, Shiro?” Matt asked looking at Shiro with worry and confusion in his eyes. Shiro wasn’t sure what could be wrong with Matt, all of this seemed so familiar to Shiro, yet he couldn’t quite put his finger on what exactly was that Matt was experiencing. 

“I think you’ll be ok, but it does seem odd. Is it physically affecting anything you do?” Shiro asked, thinking back to the basic health knowledge he had learned in the past. 

“Well… I keep wanting to do something kind of weird… but I don’t know how to describe it.” Matt answered.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s just, I have this urge to take hold of you and… I don’t know. It’s like an instinct I can’t push away.” Matt explained and Shiro looked at him confused and scared.

“You want to hurt me?” Shiro asked softly.

“No!” Matt said in a panic, “I could never hurt you Shiro! That’s the exact opposite of what I want to do!” 

“Then what do you mean by ‘take hold of me’?” Shiro asked and Matt hung his head, trying to figure it out himself.

“I… I don’t know. I can’t explain it.” 

“Then can you show me?” Shiro asked. Matt looked up at Shiro, his eyes now holding fear in them as well.

“But I don’t know if I should… what if it’s something that isn’t allowed in your world?”

“I promise that even if it’s not ok in my world I won’t get mad, ok?” Shiro said calmly with a smile. Matt nodded in response and looked Shiro in the eye.

“Alright, then I guess I’ll just do it then.” Matt responded and placed his hands gently on Shiro’s jaw, cupping his face gently. Shiro felt his heart rate pick up the minutes he felt Matt’s cold and scaly hands on his face. Then, Matt brought Shiro’s face closer to his own and pushed his lips firmly against Shiro’s own chapped lips.

Shiro now knew what it was Matt had been feeling, and he couldn’t believe he hadn’t recognized it sooner. Especially when he himself had been feeling the same way. Not the he knew it at the time, but his own feelings now were beginning to make sense with the quick kiss that Matt had given him. Matt ended the kiss and moved away from Shiro, now more red and hanging his head embarrassed.

“That… that was what I wanted to do. Was it wrong? I’m sorry if I did something wrong…” Matt asked unsure, and Shiro laughed. Which only caused Matt to internally panic more. 

“No, it wasn’t wrong at all Matt. I promise, there was absolutely nothing wrong with it. That’s called a kiss in my world, and it’s done between two people that like each other very much.” Shiro explained taking Matt’s hand in his own. 

“You mean… like mates?” Matt asked blushing dark, as though he just said something extremely scandalous. 

“Yeah, I guess like that. Is that ok?” Shiro asked stroking Matt’s hand. Matt pushed his embarrassment away and nodded with a smile. 

“I think that’s ok, if it’s ok with you of course.” Matt said scooching close to Shiro who hugged him close.

“Of course it’s ok with me, you dork. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone more amazing than you, Matt.”

“I think you’re amazing too, Shiro. I’m so happy that storm brought you to me.”

“Me too, Matt. Me too.”  


End file.
